[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 167 (Friday, August 28, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 45993]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-23182]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Parts 600 and 648

[I.D. 081998C]


Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic 
Fisheries; Applications for Exempted Fishing Permits (EFPs) to Conduct 
Experimental Fishing

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notification of Two Proposals for EFPs; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS issues this notification to announce that the Regional 
Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator) is 
considering approval of two experimental fishing proposals that would 
permit vessels to conduct operations otherwise restricted by 
regulations governing the Fisheries of the Northeastern United States. 
The experimental fisheries would involve fishing for, retention, and 
landing of silver hake (whiting) with small mesh in the Gulf of Maine/
Georges Bank (GOM/GB) Regulated Mesh Area. Regulations under the 
Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-
Stevens Act) provisions require publication of this notification to 
provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on the proposed 
experimental fisheries.

DATES: Comments must be received by September 14, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Jon Rittgers, Acting Regional 
Administrator, NMFS, Northeast Regional Office, 1 Blackburn Drive, 
Gloucester, MA 01930. The envelope should be clearly marked ``Comments 
on Proposed Experimental Fisheries.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter Christopher, Fishery Management 
Specialist, 978-281-9288.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Maine Department of Marine Resources 
(MEDMR) submitted an application on July 1, 1998, to conduct the 
testing of modified trawl gears to supplement an existing experimental 
fishery. While the current experimental fishery is designed to 
determine the effectiveness of a bycatch reduction device, or separator 
grate, in a GOM whiting small mesh trawl fishery, MEDMR's proposal 
would allow the testing of modifications to the separator grate and the 
trawl. Proposed modifications of the current gear include various bar 
spacing on the separator grate, various codend mesh size, and a raised 
footrope configuration on the otter trawl.
    On July 14, 1998, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries 
(MADMF) requested the re-authorization of an experimental fishery for 
whiting for the 1998 fishing season. The re-authorization of the 
experiment would allow the MADMF to determine whether or not the 
modified gear known as the ``raised footrope trawl'' is an appropriate 
small mesh gear for various areas in the GOM/GB Regulated Mesh Area 
that have not been completely analyzed. In addition it would allow 
MADMF and NMFS to consider additional data on the bycatch of regulated 
multispecies in the experimental fishery.
    EFPs would be issued to the participating vessels in both projects 
to exempt them from possession limit, mesh size, and days-at-sea 
restrictions of the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: August 21, 1998.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 98-23182 Filed 8-27-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F